The present invention relates to a teat cup handling device for a robot arm adapted to attach teat cups to a milking animal, wherein each teat cup has a centrally located longitudinal axis extending through a first end surface of the teat cups provided with a recess for receiving a teat of a milking animal and a oppositely located second end surface of the teat cups, and wherein the teat cup handling device comprises at least two holding parts arranged to releasably hold the teat cups. The present invention also relates to a storing device for teat cups to be used together with the teat cup handling device.
One way to fetch and attach teat cups to a milking animal is to use a milking robot comprising a robot arm provided with a gripping device for gripping one teat cup at a time parked in a teat cup storing device. The gripping device fetches and attaches the teat cups in proper order to the teats of the animal. Such an attachment procedure of the teat cups is relatively time-consuming. The attachment procedure of the teat cups constitutes a relative large part of the total time for milking an animal.
WO 00/04766 shows an apparatus for automatic milking of animals. In one embodiment of this invention, the robot arm comprises an end portion for releasably storing and attaching four teat cups. The end portion holds the teat cups in parallel in relation to each other and at different height levels. When a milking process has to be performed, the robot arm moves the end portion from a storing position to an attaching position and attaches the respective teat cups to the teats of the animal. When the milking process has been finished, the teat cups are individually detached from the respective teats of the animal and moved back to the end portion by means of e.g. a cord.
WO 2005/122753 shows a gripper device mountable on a robot arm. The gripper device comprises an electromagnet for gripping teat cups to be attached to the teats of a milking animal. In one embodiment of this invention, the gripper device is provided with several electromagnets. This gripper device is able to fetch multiple teat cups arranged in parallel from a rack and move them towards the teats of a cow to be milked.